Sabah strengthens tourism collaboration amid global uncertainty

KOTA KINABALU (April 3): The Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry and the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) will continue working together to further develop the tourism sector, which has been affected by the ongoing war in Iran.

On April 2, the ministry and the chamber led by its President Datuk Frankie Liew, met with Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin, along with the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datuk Josie Lai, to discuss current challenges and opportunities in Sabah’s tourism development.

During the meeting, the delegation put forward several practical recommendations, including streamlining entry procedures, enhancing Chinese-language services, strengthening safety management at islands and ecotourism sites, increasing direct flight connectivity, and improving regulation of the tourism market. These measures aim to further enhance the overall experience and sense of security for Chinese tourists visiting Sabah.

Jafry acknowledged the significant role of the Chinese market as a key pillar supporting Sabah’s tourism industry. He expressed appreciation to SCCC for its long-standing efforts in promoting economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between Sabah and China.

He added that the state government is continuously upgrading tourism infrastructure, strengthening safety oversight, and addressing irregularities within the industry. He also welcomed greater participation from Chinese enterprises in tourism investment and industry upgrading, with the goal of jointly building a more competitive and attractive destination.

During the meeting, SCCC reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the minister and the ministry to promote the establishment of friendly cooperation initiatives between Sabah and China. The Chamber also expressed its intention to deepen practical collaboration in areas such as culture, tourism, trade, and people-to-people exchanges.

Both sides agreed to establish a regular communication mechanism, enhance joint tourism promotion efforts, expand tourist flows, and improve service quality. These initiatives are expected to support the steady growth of Sabah’s tourism industry and further strengthen the longstanding friendly relations between Sabah and China.

Frankie noted that in 2019, SCCC organised a delegation with the ministry, led by the  minister then, Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew and the Kota Kinabalu Mayor, to Hangzhou and Xi’an, where memorandums of understanding on friendly city ties were signed.

He proposed establishing similar arrangements with Hainan and Zhengzhou.

Jafry welcomed the proposal, stressing his support for initiatives that benefit Sabah tourism.

“Next year is Visit Sabah Year. We must work together to attract more tourists to Sabah,” he said.

SCCC vice president Ir Ts. Tan KJ informed the minister that the chamber is planning to host the Second China-ASEAN Business Summit at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) in November this year.

The summit aims to position Sabah as a preferred destination for business tourism.

SCCC deputy president Brett Chua said the summit would focus on both tourism and business.

“We will leverage the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) framework to organise the summit and include a tourism dialogue involving industry players from across the region,” he said.

Jafry assured the ministry’s full support for the event.

SCCC previously hosted the Sabah China Business Summit on November 22–23, 2024, and the Malaysia (Sabah)-China Economic and Trade Exchange and Business Meeting on November 21–23, 2025, both at SICC.

During the dialogue, SCCC also requested the latest guidelines on the MM2H programme.

The chamber proposed setting up a booth at the upcoming summit for Sabah MM2H agents to provide information to potential applicants, and invited the ministry to deliver a presentation on the programme.

SCCC member Anthony Leong highlighted ongoing cases of tourists — particularly from China — failing to have their passports stamped upon arrival at Kota Kinabalu International Airport before taking connecting flights to Tawau.

He suggested installing more signage and directional guides at the airport to remind visitors to complete immigration clearance.

Jafry acknowledged the issue, which was first raised to his predecessor Christina Liew in 2019.

“We have taken action, but the problem persists. We will request Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad to install more signage to remind tourists to go through immigration clearance,” he said.

In 2018, four Chinese tourists, including a pregnant woman, were detained at Kota Kinabalu International Airport after immigration officers found their passports had not been stamped.